Arthur Richardson (politician)

Arthur Richardson (5 February 1860 – 27 June 1936)[1][2] was a British merchant and Liberal–Labour[3] politician from Nottinghamshire.[3] He sat in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1918.

Arthur Richardson, c. 1905

Schooling

Richardson was born in East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire,[4] the son of William Richardson.[5] He was educated at East Bridgford National School and then at Magnus Grammar School in Newark-on-Trent. He later became a tea merchant in the firm of Arthur Richardson and Sons.[5]

Politics

Richardson was elected at the 1906 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham South,[6][7] defeating the sitting Unionist MP Lord Henry Cavendish-Bentinck.[3] Although described as Liberal–Labour, he was not a trade union-sponsored MP, and as such not required to join the Labour Party in 1910.

Richardson held the seat until the January 1910 election, when he was defeated by Cavendish-Bentinck. He was unsuccessful when he stood again in December 1910.[3] He returned to Parliament of the United Kingdom seven years later, when he was elected unopposed as MP for Rotherham at a by-election in February 1917 after the Liberal MP Jack Pease was elevated to the peerage.[8] He held that seat until the 1918 general election,[2] when he stood unsuccessfully as a Liberal Party candidate in Nottingham West.[9] He then contested the next three general elections in the Melton division of Leicestershire. After a clear defeat by the sitting Conservative Party MP Sir Charles Yate in 1922, he lost to Yate by only 44 votes in 1923, but by over 5,000 votes in 1924.[10]

Arthur Richardson died on 27 June 1936 in Edwalton, Nottingham.[1][4]

References

1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3 )
2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2 )
3. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 163. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
4. "East Bridgford St Peter - Monuments and Memorials". Retrieved 23 January 2011.
5. Debrett, John (1918). Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench. London: Dean & Son. p. 140.
6. "No. 27885". The London Gazette. 13 February 1906. p. 1044.
7. The Popular guide to the House of Commons. 1906. p. 117. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
8. "No. 29935". The London Gazette. 9 February 1917. p. 1378.
9. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 210. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
10. Craig, British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, p. 413.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Arthur Richardson